SOL students cannot use Delhi University central library, reads notice

Delhi University. (File/Representational)

Delhi University’s central library has put out a notice stating that the students from the School of Open Learning (SOL) will not be allowed to use the central library located at the Arts faculty in north campus.  The notice has infuriated over 2 lakh students enrolled under the distance mode, who said it is a case of “discrimination”.

SOL, formerly known as the the School of Correspondence Courses and Continuing Education, offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the distance mode.  The classes are held during weekends and different colleges are used as centres.

The notice, recently stuck on the library door, reads, “SOL not allowed”, without any signature of the authority issuing the order. “SOL students have no library facilities at the study centres. Now, even the central library has pasted a notice barring entry to SOL students. This is pure educational apartheid. Usually, SOL students hardly used library resources. Why was there the need to put such notice,”said Harish Gautam, a student and member of the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), a student wing of the open school.

University librarian D V Singh, meanwhile, maintained that the students of SOL are not part of DU. “SOL students are part of an autonomous body and they have their own library. They were never allowed here because those preparing for competitive exams enrol themselves in SOL and want to use the library space to sit and study. If they occupy this space, where will students of our colleges go?” said Singh. He said that the notice must have been put up since SOL students have started to come back to library once again.

The notice has further infuriated the students who have already been protesting about the delay in starting of classes. The classes for SOL this year started two months late — in November.